INCLUDES THE FIRST CHAPTER OF ROBERT HARRIS'S FORTHCOMING NOVEL, MUNICH

What if Hitler had won the war?

It is April 1964 and one week before Hitler's 75th birthday. Xavier March, a detective of the Kriminalpolizei, is called out to investigate the discovery of a dead body in a lake near Berlin's most prestigious suburb.

As March discovers the identity of the body, he uncovers signs of a conspiracy that could go to the very top of the German Reich. And, with the Gestapo just one step behind, March, together with an American journalist, is caught up in a race to discover and reveal the truth - a truth that has already killed, a truth that could topple governments, a truth that will change history.

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A gripping account of a world which might have been if Hitler had achieved his goal. The topography of Berlin is convincingly described, and the twists in the plot are skilfully managed. It is a thriller, but transcends the genre because of Robert Harris's ability to create a world in which the abnormal is widely accepted as the norm, and in which twisted values rule everyday life. The anti-hero is most convincing.

Read this after SS-GB. The similarities in the two stories were surprising, maybe this is some kind of homage by Harris ? Regardless of this I found the novel captivating. Harris has a terse style, less ornate than Deighton. Both are superb IMO.

After a slow start, you are slowly but surely pulled into this mystery in the same way as detective Xavier March......a phone call, a dead body and an unravelling story that higher authorities would rather not be told, the cards are slowly bur surely building up against this brave but foolhardy detective..........A good story that will keep you entertained....

I'd first come into contact with Robert Harris when I'd read Enigma, a skilfully written thriller seamlessly woven into the activities of the code breakers and support personnel at Bletchley Park in their World War II battle to read the German Enigma ciphers.

'Enigma' well deserves the five stars that I, and many other reviewers, gave it. I had expected that his earlier thriller 'Fatherland' would be just as good - many reviewers consider it even better - but, unfortunately, I was less than impressed.

Robert Harris builds his story around a post-World War II Europe ruled by a victorious Adolf Hitler and his ideologically fixated Nazi party. The discovery of the body in a Berlin lake triggers an investigation which, as it spreads, slowly uncovers the true horrors of their final solution to the Jewish question.

Unfortunately he brings nothing new to this appalling tragedy; the only difference between his fictional story and everything that followed from the Wannsee conference (that genuinely took place in in January 1942) is that, in our new Germany, the true events of the Holocaust have been utterly suppressed.

If the truth were revealed would a Nazi dominated Europe be allowed - or be willing - to accept it?

It's a good question but, unfortunately, one that Robert Harris makes no attempt to answer. The thriller itself is, as I'd expected, extremely well written but his handling of the fundamental storyline is unimpressive.

Decided to read this book because of Robert Harris and the excellent Munich.Whilst it did not disappoint I found the novel somewhat over complicated and at times diffiicult to follow.It was a good read for a long journey such as a plane or cruise ship.I do find Harris understands the Aerean culture and presents a very realistic image of life in 60's Berlin as part of the Reich.Where it could have been improved was that there were a significant amount of names to remember (especially if you're advancing in years) of the various officials and in particular politicians.. It also needs a good grasp of German culture. Overall though a good read.

This was the first "grown up" book I read. After a quarter of a century it's still as good as I remember. Its a novel that pulls you in and keeps you engaged throughout. Xavier March is a great lead and his word is one which thankfully never happened.

Fatherland by Robert Harris is up there with the best books that I have ever read. The book is set against the backdrop of a very different world to the one we currently live in.

Harris creates a world where Germany has not only won the Second World War but is now the biggest and most dominant country in Europe. Hitler is still alive and the still the leader of the new Germany and the Nazi party are still controlling the citizens of Germany by controlling the media and through use of the SS and other police forces.

The plot of the book follows Xavier March, a member of the German police force, as he investigates the discovery of a body that is found on the outskirts of Berlin. The identities of the body and the secrets that he has taken to the grave have the potential to rock the new Germany. March is forced to look deep into the history of Germany and some of the answers will change his life for ever.

This is one of the best books that I have ever read. The story telling is fantastic and the plot is one of the best I have ever read. Harris creates compelling characters and manages to make you care about them and that for me is the mark of a skilled author.

As a standalone book I cannot recommend this book enough. If you are looking for an enjoyable book with a great story that is very well written then this is the book for you.

A fascinating idea to stage a police procedural on the premise that Germany won the war, and a gripping story. For myself, I really wanted more nuance on the social and political situation. Robert Harris does a good job of setting out some of the new reality, seeding 'facts' into the narrative all the way through the book - I just wanted more of them, and particularly on the lives of ordinary people living in Berlin. You do get a very good feeling of the unrelenting anxiety of living in a police state, and the complete absence of trust, which makes for a very charged atmosphere.